Implementation Trends for Rainwater-Harvesting Technologies and Strategies and Their Relationship with Building Information Modeling

AbstractVarious societies across the globe, including that in the United States, encounter difficulties fulfilling freshwater consumption needs. Implementation of decentralized systems, such as rainwater-harvesting technologies and strategies (RwHTS), in capital projects not only alleviates developmental patterns of humans on water resources but also helps facilities achieve net-zero resource consumption. However, implementation of RwHTS can quickly become complex because of multiple factors associated with the design of the capital facility. Although building information modeling (BIM) possesses inherent capabilities to reduce the complexity of systems, the impact it has on the adoption of RwHTS needs to be assessed. This research characterized implementation patterns for RwHTS and BIM by architectural firms for facilities constructed between 2000 and 2010 in six southeastern states and Washington, DC, using electronic surveys. In addition, the authors analyzed the relationship between the implementation of RwHTS and BIM from architectural firms’ perspectives. Furthermore, the study also identified the relationship between RwHTS/BIM implementation and a firm’s demographics, previous experience with federal projects, and green buildings. Last, the study identified the least and most adopted RwHTS types and BIM functions. Future research needs to investigate into reasons for adopting RwHTS and the process associated with it.